Why not take up a musical instrument?
Thu, 09/13/2007 - 22:32 — Shane Magee
We have all been at a concert or performance, and really wished we could express ourselves like that. But what stops us from taking an instrument up? Let's look at the two main reasons why we don't turn our wish into reality, and deal with them in turn:
1. It's too late to learn now...
We tell ourselves that it is too late, that we really should have taken an instrument up when we were a child. But quite frankly, all we need is a childlike state of mind. A child doesn't worry about how good or bad he is, he just plays because it gives him joy. As an adult, we have all these mental preconceptions about music, and what good music should sound like, and they strip all the joy from the simple act of picking up an instrument and playing. Playing an instrument should be exactly that - playing, like a child runs around and plays.
2. It will take too long to be any good at it
Sorry to break the news, but nothing worthwhile in life is attainable immediately like instant coffee. If you want to get fit, you have to spend long ours in the gym. If you want to still your mind, you have to spend a long time practicing meditation. Music is no different. There will be ups and downs, times where you think you're finally getting somewhere and other times where you think you'll never be any good at writing. you have to change your attitude and realise that, as the noted meditation teacher Sri Chinmoy explains, "Success is what we always want, progress is what we always need.". Every time you practice, if you can get joy solely from the fact that you managed to be disciplined enough to set aside ten or fifteen minutes a day for practice, then you will not let the ups and downs of learning affect your mood.
One thing you can also try is to concentrate for a minute before you begin practicing on your heart centre in the middle of your chest, the source of music and silence inside yourself. Try to clear your mind of any expectations or ideas and just try and go deep within to identify yourself with that source. Then when you play it will be much easier to have a nice experience and not be discouraged if the result does not sound the way you would like. Sometimes our mind wants us to play like someone we have heard, whereas our heart just wants us to express our own soul's voice during playing.
The other important thing is to have the right reasons for playing. Is it for outer criteria such as gaining approval from others? In that case your practices will always be hampered by thoughts of what people think. The only reason for playing music - or indeed for doing anything in life - should be that it makes your life more happier and meaningful. And playing music is certainly one of the easiest ways to go deep within and get in touch with your deepest inner nature. If you can keep this in mind, it will certainly make taking up and instrument a much happier and more fulfilling experience.
(Personal note: I took up the flute a couple of years ago after casting aside the exact same objections outlined above. I'm not particularly good, and people approaching within fifty yards have this worrying tendency to stick their fingers in their ears, but it makes me happy)
Photo: Playing the erhu in china, by Shardul Dillicar)
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